Rockies newcomer candidly discusses the differences between Denver and Miami

While Denver and Miami offer vastly different climates and cultures, a newcomer to the Rockies also observed something interesting.

The Rockies claimed first baseman/outfielder Troy Johnston off waivers from the Marlins in November 2025 and he impressed enough to make the Opening Day roster with his spring training performance.

He appeared in right field in last night's win over the Astros, going 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs, as Colorado improved to 4-6 on the young season.

The team has demonstrated competitive baseball early in the season, and Johnston commented after the game on the differences he's observed between Denver and Miami.

He's spot on. Rockies fans are incredibly loyal, enduring years of disappointment as a bottom-feeder team. Coors Field is a much better atmosphere when the Rockies are competitive, rather than having opposing team fans make up roughly 80% of the crowd late in the season.

This season, the vibes in spring training was noticeably different under new President of Baseball Operations, Paul DePodesta, as he looks to put Colorado baseball back on the map. You could tell the players genuinely believed it when they spoke about it, and it wasn't just some rah-rah speech.

As he mentioned, this is a city that loves their sports. The city's other professional teams have either won or consistently performed well, including the Avalanche and Nuggets. The Broncos are also making a comeback after their AFC Championship game appearance this past January.

Since the Rockies' last postseason appearance in 2018, the atmosphere at Coors Field, even with a 2-0 series deficit against the Brewers, was an unforgettable experience. Despite Colorado being swept in the series, including a 6-0 home loss to the Brewers, the atmosphere and excitement in town were truly special.

While Colorado is still in a rebuilding phase, it's encouraging to see their competitiveness in the first ten games, despite a 4-6 record. The series against Miami could have gone either way; they were swept, losing each game by a single run.